Marking device



' Dec. 1, 1942. 11. J. 1.545 2,303,674

MARKING-DEVICE File d March 26, 1941- INVENTOR Haeaz; flax/(s ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1942 Harold J. Zelms, Akron, N. Y., assignor to Certain- Teed Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Maryland Application March 26, 1941, Serial No. 385,387

3 Claims.

This invention relates to marking devices, especially to those of the type which are used to mark a continuous strip or sheet at spaced points therealong. The invention particularly relates to the perforating or cutting of tapes used for bundling or binding units along the edges thereof.

- die at the time'of applying the tape in order that the spring of the boards may create a certain amount of tension in the tape after it is applied and thus secure the necessary friction between the boards in the bundle to securely hold them together.

In such bundling operations it is desirable to apply the tape in a continuous process and to utilize a continuous band or strip of tape so that it may be fed or delivered to the taping operation from a reel or roll. A problem connected with this operation is that of severing the continuouslydelivered tape in proper lengths and at the proper places relative to the bundles to which it is to be applied so that the length of the tape 'cut off will be approximately that of the bundle to which it is to be applied. It is desirable that no substantial excess length of tape shall be left to extend over the ends of the bundles because such excess material causes the bundle to appear untrimmed and is subject to tear or pulling off. This makes the bundle unsightly and may interfere with the proper function of the tape of holding the bundled pieces together., It thus is an important object of the invention to efiect perforation or cut off of the tape at predetermined spaced points and so that the two ends of the tape thus perforated or severed shall be at the ends of the bundle.

In the prior art in some cases the continuous tape has been applied to a series of units or plies of lath or other assemblage of pieces which,.being approximately the same length, are moved in series'with the ends of the bundles or piles in contact with each other. Thus the tape may be applied, for example, to the side or edge surfaces of the; bundle and lapped upon and bound to the: outer faces thereof by means of adhesive.

The tape may be continuous so as to bridge across the joint between one bundle and the next succeeding bundle in the train of bundles. Thereafter by means of certain devices the tape has been cut, the intention being that the cut shall be effected at the joint between two bundles. In the prior art tapes, however, the means adopted for effecting this cutting of the tape has not been satisfactory or in many cases effective because complicated devices have been used and accurate synchronization of the cutting with the movement of the bundle has not been accomplished and other difficulties have been experienced because of the devices used formoving the bundles and for operation of the cuttingtool.

' The present invention provides a simple device which may be used in connection with existing apparatus and which is controlled by simple controls to secure the desired result. It maybe applied to the marking, perforating or severing of a continuous tape at intervals before applicavtion to a bundle or to the severing of the tape previously applied to and extending continuously upon a series of bundles or units. In many cases, particularly in the taping of wallboards, such as gypsum lath and gypsum wallboards, the boards two or more in face-to-face relation in a pile are delivered upon a fiat table or apron or other suitable support and moved in the plane of their faces parallel to the two edges thereof. The tape is delivered from a reel or roll to each side of the board or pile of boards. By suitable means adhesive is applied and the tape is pressed into adhering contact, in some cases with the side edges, but usually with the marginal areas of the upper and lower faces of the outermost boards of the pile. By means hereafter to be described in accordance with the invention the tape is perforated so that the perforations be- 40 come registered with the joint between two piles or bundles of the boards. Thereafter the bundle or pile bound with the tape at its side edges may pass over a roll over which it may tilt to cause the tape to break or tear apart along the perforations thus to separate the bundles.

The invention will be further understood from the description of the drawing to follow, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section to enlarged scale on line 22 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 is shown a series of units I, such as lath made of gypsum or plasterboards, which are moved with ends adjacent or in contact in a 55..

horizontal plane. This movement maybe accomplished by carrying the lath upon an endless belt 3 running over and supported by rolls such as rolls 5, 6, l and 8 and so as to be in driving contact with roll or pulley ID to provide the drive for the device of the invention. The rolls 5, 6, I, 8 and I may be supported in suitable bearings in frames l2 and I3, shown in part in Fig. 1. A roll, such as roll I, may be driven by suitable power means (not shown) to effect drive of the belt 3. The frame [3 is broken away to expose the belt 3 but is shown, however, to support a vertical shaft l5 supported in bearing l6. The

shaft l5 at the lower end thereof carries 'a bevel gear [8 meshing with a bevel gear l9 on a horizontal shaft 20. The shaft may in bearings 22 supported on frames 12 and I3. By means of a chain drive 24 running from a sprocket on the shaft on which the pulley or roll I0 is mounted drive of the horizontal shaft 20 may be effected by means of the sprocket 26 over which chain 24 runs. a

Upon the upper end of shaft 1-5 is carried one member of a slip clutch 3ll keyed or pinned to the shaft l5. Upon the lower end of a shaft 32, having its axis in line with the axis of shaft 15, is carried the other member of the slip clutch til. The shaft 32 passes through bearing 34 and carries at its upper end a rotatable member '36. The rotatable member 35 has an arm 38 extending horizontally to engage the lower end of-a stop bar passing vertically through a guide 4! and connected to solenoid 43.

As the roll 10 is driven by the movement of the conveyor belt 3 drive is transmitted through the chain 24, sprocket -26, shaft 213, bevel gears l8 and I9, shaft IE, to the lower member of the slip clutch device 30. When the shaft 32 is free to rotate by virtue of the washers, such as leather was-hers, which may be placed between thetwo members of the slip clutch device 39, the drive of shaft l5 will cause rotation of the shaft 3 2. As the rotatable member 36 and its arm 38 are fastened to shaft 32, these members will rotate with the'shaft l5 until the arm 33 upon making a revolution from the position shown in Fig. 2:

again reaches this position at which point it will engage the stop 40. By means hereafter described the stop 40 is intermittently elevated out of engagement with the arm 38 to effect release of the arm 38 and the rotatable member 36 for one revolution. Control of the solenoid 43 which lifts the stop 40 is so carried out that the stop 40 will be restored to engagement with the arm 38'- upon completion of a single revolution.

The rotatable member 36 is constructed with pins or studs 45 sliding in supports 41 and 48 which constitute the vertical supports of the rotatable member 3% connecting the bottom piece 49 thereof to the arm 38. The studs 45 are pro-- vided with collars St at the ends thereof pinned to the studs. At the opposite end of the studs 45' is a headpiece 53 into which both studs 45 are fastened. Springs 54 bearing against the stud 48 and against the headpiece 5'3 bias the headpiece 53 outwardly from the rotatable device 35. The: collars 5| are positioned to stop the outward. movement while retaining the bias of the springand so that a cutting blade 55 carried by the headpiece 53 becomes positioned with its outer cutting edge 56 at the desired radial distance from. the center of the shaft 32. The vertical shaftsl5 and 32 and the rotatable member'3fi and the" parts carried thereby are so positioned relative to the edge of the bundles or units 1 that the: cutting edge 55 will pierce the tape 6%, as showia the tape-may-be perforated-as it is 'fe'd' to the.

in Fig. 2, which has been applied to the vertical edge of the series of bundles. In the manner hereafter described release of the rotatable member 38 will be effected by withdrawal of the stop 40 at such time that the cutting edge 56 will be rotated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the point 62 in the time in which the joint 63 between the two bundles I shall have progressed in the direction of the arrow to said point 62. Thus the cutting edge 56 will sever or perforate the tape at the joint between the two units or -bundles I.

As the units or bundles l are moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 the joint between two-bundles willlpass under a finger 12 of a switch fHJ suitably mounted upon the machine. The finger 12 may be so designed that the joint between two bundles will cause movement of the finger and operation of the switch 10. Closing of this switch through a suitable electric circuit inwliich also the solenoid 43 is connectedwill cause the solenoid43 to be energized and t'oilift the stop 40 out of ngagementwith'the arm 38 of the rotatable member'36. It will be clea'r from a consideration of Figs. 1 an'd 2 and the above description that the joint between the two lefthand units or bundles! of Fig. '1 which -is in position'to actuate the switch 'ifl'will-start-movement of the cutting edge '56 "toward" the tape {as 1 above described and so that upon reaching' the tape perforation thereof will be effected at' th'e' joint 63 between the two -righthand bundles inFig. *1. As'the rotatable mernb'er 36 'and the cuttingJedge 55 are driven in timed relation to the-movement of the belt 3 and therefore of the units or bundles 1, release of the -rotatable membe'r at the proper instant and gauged by the edg'e of a bundle of the joint between two bundles is eifective to determine the definite spacin'gbe'tweenthe succ'es'siveperforations "and so QlS tOFFG giStBI- With the successive joints between the succeeding bundles.

While the above description 'o'f themethodof perforating the tape after it ha's been applied to the bundles is set forth, within the scope of the invention the-pe'rforatingdevice al'Id thG driVG therefor may beso mou'n't'ed as to peffor'at'e the tape as'it is unwoundfrom are'el o'r'roll of the tape and before-it is applied"-to-and stretched :along the edges of the series 'of -unit's or biindles. .This methodof utilizing the apparatus of themvention is possible because the length of tape necessary for binding the 'edg'eof a unit or of a {bundle is the same or'substantially' the same in all ".bundles. Since the-bundles are moved with the end edges thereof in contactwith each other,

taping apparatus instead -of being perforated after it has beenapplid to tlfe edg'e of the linit -tor' bund1e. The distance from -th'e 'finger I2 of the control switch- 10 to the perfor'ation to-be effected in the "tape by the perforating device will be a multiple of unit or; bundle lengths.' In :some cases such a method rhay be 'usedfor' perforating but the preferred mtliod .Twill bethat which has been above described."

In either case, however, the position-or the control-switch =10 may b e 'made adjustable lengthwise of th'e -line ofdelivery of the units so that contact in the switch 1 I] cail'sd by the dge of s a :unit and therefore the energizing Forthe solenoid-43 and withdrawal of sto'p 40 'may occur at the-proper instant for release of theicutting edge 5s andits movement to thepe'rforating or cutting position to'in-sur'e 'th'e severing at a distance from the finger I2 equal to or to a multiple of the length of the units or bundles.

As may be seen from Fig. l, the taped bundles proceed to the left and bundle 89 is shown in the position in which it is tipped over upon the roll 82 to break apart the tape to free the bundle 8%! from the following bundle I.

Having thus described my invention I now claim:

1. Apparatus for marking a continuous tape at points spaced along the length thereof which comprises means for positively moving the tape in the direction of its length, a rotatable member, marking means upon said rotatable member, said rotatable member and said marking means being so arranged in relation to said tape that said marking means as it is rotated engages and marks said tape, means engaging said rotatable member to stop rotation thereof, means for moving said stop means out of engagement with said rotatable member to release said rotatable member for rotation thereof, a slip clutch device connected to said means for positively moving said tape and to said rotatable member and biased to effect driving connection therebetween and positive rotation of said rotatable member in timed relation to said means for positively moving the tape except when said rotatable member is held by said stop means, control means positioned along the length of the tape from said rotatable member a distance having a predetermined relation to the spacing of the marks to be made upon the tape, said control means being arranged upon actuation thereof to effect movement of said stop means to release said rotatable member, and means associated with said tape and moving therewith in said direction of its length for actuating said control means.

2. In a machine for applying tape to the edges of units delivered to the machine in a series, means for positively moving said units in succession in substantially abutting relation parallel to an edge thereof to which the tape has been applied so as to bridge across the joints between the units at the abutment thereof and so as to bond the tape to said units along said edges and thereby cause the tape positively to move lengthwise thereof, a rotatable member, marking means mounted upon said rotatable member, said rotatable member and said marking means being so arranged in relation to said tape that said marlnng means as it is rotated engages and marks said tape, means engaging said rotatable member to stop rotation thereof, means for moving said stop means out of engagement with said rotatable member to release said rotatable member for rotation thereof, a slip clutch device connected to said means for positively moving the units and to said rotatable member and biased to effect driving connection therebetween and positive rotation of said rotatable member in timed relation to the means for positively moving said units, and control means actuated by contact with said moving units at said joints therebetween and acting upon said stop means to effect said release of said rotatable member, said control means being positioned along the length of the tape from said rotatable member a distance having a predetermined relation to the length of said units to cause said marking device to mark said tape at points spaced thereon substantially equal to the length of the units and in register with said joints.

3. In a machine for applying tape to the edges of bundles of plaster boards delivered to the machine in a series, means for positively moving 1 cause the tape positively to move lengthwise thereof with the bundles, a rotatable member, perforating means mounted upon said rotatable member, said rotatable member and said perforating means being so arranged in relation to said edge of the bundles that said perforating means as it is rotated engages and perforates said tape, means engaging said rotatable member to stop rotation thereof, means including a solenoid for moving said stop means out of engagement with said rotatable member to release said rotatable member for rotation thereof, a slip clutch device connected to said means for positively moving the bundles and to said rotatable member and biased to effect driving connection therebetween and positive rotation of said rotatable member in timed relation to said means for positively moving said bundles, and control means including a switch carrying a finger for contact with said moving bundles at said joints therebetween and acting upon said solenoid to effect movement of said stop means for release of said rotatable member, said control means being so positioned along the path of movement of said bundles that the contact finger thereof engages a joint between the bundles at a distance along the length of said tape from said rotatable member having a predetermined relation to the length of the bundles to cause said perforating device to engage and mark said tape at points spaced substantially equal to the length of the bundles and so as to register with the joints.

HAROLD J. ZELMS. 

